Thursday, November 10, 2016

Day 7: List The Little's and Tackle One

I wish I could let you into my life so you could see the difference between the capable me and the couch-dweller me. Thanks to medications and good circumstances, there are some days I am very capable (though not lately I'm afraid) during these times I do amazing things like cleaning the doors and walls (walls people, walls!), sanitizing the bathroom, wiping down all the drawer fronts in the kitchen, and other amazing things.

"Normal" people may not find these tasks too super-human, they may consider deep-cleaning an essential if not pleasant part of daily life.

For the chronic-whatever who considers going to the bathroom unassisted (other than perhaps a walker) a successful task completed, deep cleaning is deeply buried at the bottom of a long list of "May never do's". That's the reality of life for people who struggle with basic tasks. It's not a fun reality, but it is a reality that can never be truly addressed by cleaning gurus of our day who've probably never struggled to put pants on themselves a single day in their life. So, enter the little's list.

Deep cleaning when you don't move is going to be non-existent, except when help comes in. Embrace that. Embrace the space you've chosen. Embrace the choices you make to be proactive about your inactive condition. You are still beautiful, worthwhile, and needed. You can still make a difference, a little bit at a time.

So today, if you've got the dishes and laundry going we'll look into listing the little items that are on your mind and work on getting just one done.

First, some guidelines for your list. First, start and focus most on items that are in the space you've chosen. You chose this space for a reason, so honor it by giving it priority. Second, pick the most stressful item (not to do, but just the item that bugs you most) to do first, as this will have the most benefit to your perception of your home. Finally, no item should take longer than 5 minutes, so break them down as needed.

Here is my list based on my priorities:


  • wipe down front door
  • wipe down bathroom door
  • quick-dust shelves and piano top
  • tidy  linen closet floor

A few comments on this list. My first priorities were wiping down doors. This is due entirely to the mass of sticky fingerprints that has literally made the doors look dirty from doorknob down to floor. If you don't have a small child around, these items don't make as much sense. 

Notice how short my list is. I like to keep it to 5 items or less to keep it more manageable and to give myself a needed mental boost when the list is "DONE". More items would make it likely impossible to finish a list in a day, let alone a week. Keep your spirits up by keeping things realistic for your situation. 

Once you get this list done, take a deep breath and do the first item. Now check that sucker off! You, my chronically whatever friend have just done a bit of deep cleaning!!! Mind blown. 

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